BUICK Complaints

NEW BUICK LUCERNE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR DOES NOT COVER BLIND SPOTS. DEALER SAYS IT WORKS AS DESIGNED, AND "TO BE HONEST, YOU ARE NOT THE FIRST TO COMPLAIN ABOUT IT". IT WAS NOT CORRECTED. *TT

THE GAS GAUGE BEGAN READING EMPTY WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY FULL. THIS STARTED ON 03/03/2011 WITH THE ODOMETER READING ABOUT 70K. IT NOW HAS ABOUT 76K ON THE ODOMETER. WHEN THE TANK IS INITIALLY FILLED THE GAUGE WILL READ FULL, THEN GO DOWN GRADUALLY WHILE DRIVING UNTIL THE GAUGE READ EMPTY. WHEN THE TANK WAS FULL THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD ALSO LIGHT UNTIL THE TANK WOULD BE AT APPROXIMATELY 3/4. AT 3/4 FULL THE GAUGE WOULD THEN READ CORRECTLY AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD GO OFF. *TT

NOISES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD; RATTLE, JINGLE, CLUNK; CONSTANT. SOUNDS LIKE METAL IN A WASHING MACHINE, BUT FINE DRIVEABILITY AND COMFORTABLE SOUNDING HIGHWAY DRIVING. DRIVING IN PARKING GARAGE IS NOISY WHEN ACCELERATING, AND QUIET WHEN COASTING. NOISE IS QUIETER WHEN AC IS OFF. NOISE IS LOUDER WHEN ACCELERATING, OR AT IDLE. AFTER 30 MINUTE DRIVE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AUTO STORE GAVE CODES THAT SHOWED REPLACEMENT OF ENGINE COOLING FAN CLUTCH OR EV FAN MOTOR. LESS THAN 70K MILES.

THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING PROPERLY AND READS SERIOUSLY ERRONEOUS SPEEDS, BOTH HIGHER AND LOWER THAN TRUE SPEEDS, WHICH I CHECKED WITH A GPS UNIT. APPARENTLY THIS IS DUE TO DEFECTIVE STEPPER MOTORS IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FROM WHAT I READ ON THE INTERNET. GM NEEDS TO RECALL AND FIX THESE. THE DEFECT CAN CAUSE DRIVERS TO TRAVEL AT UNSAFE SPEEDS, AS THEY ARE MISLED BY THE SPEEDOMETER READING. *TR

DRIVING TOWARDS A STOPLIGHT AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR ON A 1996 BUICK CENTURY. PUMPING GAVE ONLY PARTIAL REAR BRAKING. DROVE TO FRIEND'S HOUSE (DURING WHICH THE BRAKES WORKED NORMALLY THE WHOLE WAY). WE PULLED THE DRIVER SIDE TIRE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE FIBROUS FINELY WOVEN TUBE COVER (FIBERGLASS?) TO THE EXTREMELY THIN AND FRAGILE WIRES TO ABS SENSOR LOOKED BURNT. CUTTING IT OFF WE DISCOVERED THE WIRES INSIDE HAD SHORTED OUT. WHEN WE CLEARED THE SHORT AND INDIVIDUALLY WRAP INSULATED THE WIRES, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT THEN CAME ON. A GRAVEL SKID TEST REVEALED NO ABS AT ALL. WE FOUND THAT DEAD SHORTING THE WIRE TO THE SENSOR WITH A JUMPER WIRE WILL CAUSE THE ABS WARNING LIGHT TO GO OUT, BUT OBVIOUSLY DISABLES THE ABS. WE REPLACED THE SENSOR (WHICH REQUIRES THAT THE WHOLE BEARING/STUD ASSEMBLY TO BE REPLACED), AND THEN THE ABS LIGHT WENT OUT. A GRAVEL SKID TEST REVEALED THE ABS WORKING FINE AND HE SAYS THE NORMAL BRAKING IS NOW BETTER TOO. SOME RESEARCH REVEALS THAT THE ABS DETECTS NO TIRE TURNING DURING A SKID VIA THE SENSOR, AND RELEASES HYDRAULIC PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES UNTIL THE TIRE IS DETECTED BY THE ABS AS TURNING. WE THINK THAT WHEN A SHORT TO THE SENSOR OCCURS, THE SENSOR CAN'T DETECT THE TIRE TURNING AGAIN AND THUS THE ABS UNIT NEVER STOPS BLEEDING FLUID PASS THE BRAKE (AND THE INITIAL SHORT MAY EVEN SET OFF THE ABS WITHOUT AN ACTUAL SKID OCCURRING - THAT IS WITHOUT THE SENSOR EVER SENSING A TIRE NOT TURNING). ANYONE HAVING RANDOM NEAR-TOTAL OR TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKES ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE MIGHT DO WELL TO EXAMINE THE WIRES AND TERMINALS LEADING TO THE ABS SENSORS - AND REPLACE SUSPICIOUS UNITS (WE PAID ABOUT $90 FOR A UNIT FROM A COMMON AUTO PARTS CHAIN). A GRAVEL SKID TEST MIGHT ALSO REVEAL AN ABS SYSTEM NOT WORKING EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO ABS WARNING LIGHT LIT. REPLACING THE BEARING/STUD/ABS SENSOR ASSEMBLY IS MODERATELY HARD. *TR

I OWN A 2002 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THE FIRST PROBLEM WAS THE SPEEDOMETER GOING WELL OVER 100MPH WHEN I WAS ONLY DRIVING LIKE 20 OR 30. ALL THE LIGHTS IN THE VEHICLE FLASHES ON AND OFF. THE HEAT SOMETIMES WORKS AND SOMETIMES DONT IT OVERHEATS.NOW THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WENT ON ME. I CALLED GM AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY DIDNT SHOW ANY RECALLS NOR EVER HAD ANY COMPLAINTS. HOWEVER, I READ THE COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THE SAME VEHICLE THAT I HAVE AND CLEARLY HAVE ALL THE SAME PROBLEMS. SO THE QUESTION IS WHY DIDNT THIS VEHICLE IN NYS HAVE ANY RECALLS FOR THE MANIFOLD GASKET. IT'S WEIRD TO ME BECAUSE IN CANADA THEY HAD A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS ON THE 2002 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. CAN SOMEONE GET SOME ANSWERS. IT WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BUICK RENDEZVOUS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CONTACT SMELLED A FUEL ODOR. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED A LEAK IN THE FUEL TANK INLET. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA RECALL 07E021000 (FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICES). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 BUICK REGAL. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH HE NOTICED SMOKE RELEASING FROM THE VENTS. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE HOOD WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACTS HOME. THE VIN INFORMATION WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT DID NOT MENTION IF A FIRE OR POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILES WERE 180,000.

DASH PANEL COVER SEPARATING AND BUCKLING IN FRONT OF DRIVER'S STEERING WHEEL GM WILL NOT REPLACE AND I FEEL IT COULD CAUSE VISIBILITY PROBLEMS LATER. HAVE READ ONLINE OTHER DRIVERS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH IT CAUSING AIRBAG TO DEPLOY ON PASSAGE SIDE IF IT SEPARATES ALL THE WAY ACROSS DASH. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BUICK CENTURY. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 45 MPH WHEN THE SMELL OF GASOLINE BEGAN TO FILL THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OVERPOWERING ODOR WAS OFTEN UNBEARABLE TO WHERE HE WAS UNABLE TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED TO SECURE AN APPOINTMENT FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO THE OVERPOWERING AND OFFENSIVE ODOR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,860.